愚不可及

Chinese

		stupid	cannot; should not; must not	to reach; and
trad. (愚不可及)		愚	不可	及
simp. #(愚不可及)		愚	不可	及

Etymology

From the Analects, Book 5 (《論語·公冶長》). The modern meaning is a reinterpretation.

甯武子，邦有道則知；邦無道則愚。其知可及也，其愚不可及也。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

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甯武子，邦有道则知；邦无道则愚。其知可及也，其愚不可及也。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

Nìng Wǔ Zǐ, bāng yǒudào zé zhì; bāng wúdào zé yú. Qí zhì kě jí yě, qí yú bùkě jí yě. [Pinyin]

Lord Wu of Ning (甯武子) was wise when the state was ruled by justice. He became foolish when the state was ruled by injustice. Others may be as good a wise man as he was, but never as good a fool as he was.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): yúbùkějí

  (Zhuyin): ㄩˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄐㄧˊ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): jyu⁴ bat¹ ho² kap⁶

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: yúbùkějí
    • Zhuyin: ㄩˊ ㄅㄨˋ ㄎㄜˇ ㄐㄧˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: yúbùkějí
    • Wade–Giles: yü²-pu⁴-kʻo³-chi²
    • Yale: yú-bù-kě-jí
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: yubukeejyi
    • Palladius: юйбукэцзи (jujbukɛczi)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /y³⁵ pu⁵¹ kʰɤ²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕi³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: jyu⁴ bat¹ ho² kap⁶
    • Yale: yùh bāt hó kahp
    • Cantonese Pinyin: jy⁴ bat⁷ ho² kap⁹
    • Guangdong Romanization: yu⁴ bed¹ ho² keb⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /jyː²¹ pɐt̚⁵ hɔː³⁵ kʰɐp̚²/

Idiom

愚不可及

1. (idiomatic) very stupid; stupid beyond reach